Session 2021-22 Thursday No. 22 24 June 2021 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND WRITTEN ANSWERS Written Statements ................................ ................ 1 Written Answers ................................ ..................... 5 [I] indicates that the member concerned has a relevant registered interest. The full register of interests can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/register-of-lords-interests/ Members who want a printed copy of Written Answers and Written Statements should notify the Printed Paper Office. This printed edition is a reproduction of the original text of Answers and Statements, which can be found on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/. Ministers and others who make Statements or answer Questions are referred to only by name, not their ministerial or other title. The current list of ministerial and other responsibilities is as follows. Minister Responsibilities Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal Earl Howe Deputy Leader of the House of Lords Lord Agnew of Oulton Minister of State, Treasury and Cabinet Office Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord Ashton of Hyde Chief Whip Baroness Barran Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Lord Benyon Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Baroness Berridge Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Department for International Trade Lord Bethell Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Whip Waldrist Lord Callanan Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Earl of Courtown Deputy Chief Whip Lord Frost Minister of State, Cabinet Office Baroness Goldie Minister of State, Ministry of Defence Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord Greenhalgh Minister of State, Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Lord Grimstone of Boscobel Minister of State, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department for International Trade Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay Whip Baroness Penn Whip Baroness Scott of Bybrook Whip Baroness Stedman-Scott Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions Lord Stewart of Dirleton Advocate-General for Scotland Lord True Minister of State, Cabinet Office Baroness Vere of Norbiton Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport Baroness Williams of Trafford Minister of State, Home Office Lord Wolfson of Tredegar Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice Viscount Younger of Leckie Whip © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/ Written Statements 24 June 2021 Page 1 notice of her intention to do so. This is a right the United Written Statements Kingdom affords to Russia and other states in the context of the UK’s territorial waters, including the Dover TSS in Thursday, 24 June 2021 the English Channel. The Royal Navy, as well as other NATO and partner Exercises in the Black Sea nations, have enjoyed a routine maritime presence in the Black Sea for many years. At the time of this interaction, [HLWS115] there were both Dutch and US warships operating Baroness Goldie: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of elsewhere within the Black Sea. The Royal Navy’s State for Defence (The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP) has presence is about cooperating with our partners and Allies made the following Written Ministerial Statement: to advance regional security, stability and freedom of On Wednesday 23 June 2021, HMS DEFENDER (a navigation. Type 45 Destroyer), left the Ukrainian port of Odesa en HMS DEFENDER continues with her planned route to the Georgian port of Batumi in the Black Sea. deployment and programme of visits. The Royal Navy HMS DEFENDER conducted innocent passage through will always uphold international law and will not accept Ukrainian territorial waters via a direct route using a unlawful interference with innocent passage. traffic separation scheme (TSS), as is the right of the United Kingdom (and all nations) under international FCDO Services Ministerial Targets 2021-22 maritime law. This TSS is governed by the International Maritime Organisation and is designed to assist vessels in [HLWS112] safely transiting congested waterways. The United Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: FCDO Services operates Kingdom does not recognise any Russian claim to these as a trading fund of the Foreign, Commonwealth & waters, nor do we recognise the assertion from the Development Office (FCDO). I have set the following Russian Ministry of Defence that HMS DEFENDER was ambitious performance targets for 2021-2022: in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1) An in-year surplus in excess of 0.0% before interest, (UNCLOS). tax and dividend; At 0950 BST, HMS DEFENDER entered the TSS, 2) Achievement of the return on capital employed inside Ukrainian territorial waters. At 1000 BST, a (ROCE) of at least 6.5% (weighted average); Russian coastguard vessel warned that Russian units 3) A productivity ratio of at least 82%, measuring would shortly commence a live fire gunnery exercise. At 1008 BST, HMS DEFENDER noted gunnery astern and actual billable hours versus available billable hours; out of range of her position. This posed no danger to 4) An in-year customer satisfaction rating average at HMS DEFENDER. During her transit, HMS least of 82%; DEFENDER was overflown by Russian combat aircraft at 5) An average Civil Service People Survey “Your Say” varying heights, the lowest of which was approximately score for ‘Employee Engagement’ of at least 61%; and 500 feet. These aircraft posed no immediate threat to 6) An average Civil Service People Survey “Your Say” HMS DEFENDER, but some of these manoeuvres were score for ‘My Manager’ of at least 65%. neither safe nor professional. HMS DEFENDER responded by VHF radio to the Russian units on several FCDO Services will report to Parliament on its success occasions and was, at all times, courteous and against these targets through its Annual Report and professional. Accounts for 2021-2022. FCDO Services is a Trading Fund of the FCDO. It HMS DEFENDER maintained a safe course throughout provides a range of integrated, secure services worldwide her innocent passage, on one occasion manoeuvring to to the FCDO and other UK Government departments, avoid a hazard presented by a Russian coastguard vessel supporting the delivery of government agendas. Services before re-assuming her intended course. HMS include protective security, estates and construction, cloud DEFENDER completed the passage safely and in computing, communications and monitoring, logistics, accordance with her intended route, departed Ukrainian translation and interpreting. This is combined with a territorial waters at 1026 BST. At no point were warning portfolio of global maintenance work. FCDO Services shots fired at HMS DEFENDER, nor bombs dropped in also manages the UK National Authority for Counter her path as has been asserted by the Russian authorities. Eavesdropping (UK NACE), helping protect UK assets Later on Wednesday 23 June 2021, the United from physical, electronic and cyber-attack. Kingdom’s Defence Attaché was invited to a meeting in the Russian Ministry of Defence at which he received a High Fat, Sugar and Salt Advertising note verbale. This will be considered and addressed in due course. Consultation Response Under Article 19 of UNCLOS, HMS DEFENDER had [HLWS117] the right to exercise innocent passage through Ukrainian Lord Bethell: My Hon Friend the Parliamentary Under territorial waters in the manner she did without giving any Secretary of State (Minister for Prevention, Public Health Page 2 24 June 2021 Written Statements and Primary Care) (Jo Churchill) has today made the ensure that brands are not pigeonholed as synonymous following written ministerial statement: with HFSS products and have the freedom to Today, I am pleased to announce that Government is reformulate and move towards offering healthier publishing the consultation response to both the 2019 and products. 2020 consultations. This outlines the final UK wide • Small Medium Enterprises (SME) (online & 9pm policy on restricting High Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS) watershed): Businesses with 249 employees or fewer, advertising which we intend to legislate for in the that pay to advertise HFSS products that they upcoming Health and Care Bill. manufacture and/or sell, will be exempt from the HFSS Covid-19 has brought the dangers of obesity into sharp restrictions and can continue to advertise. focus and highlighted that as a country we need to address • Audio (online only): As the impact and levels of child the risks obesity presents. The Prime Minister has been exposure to HFSS advertising on audio-only media (e.g. clear that helping the nation get fitter and healthier must podcasts, online only radio) remain unclear, these forms be a national priority and will make us more resilient to of media are not subject to restrictions. diseases in the future. • Business to Business (online only): Businesses can In 2018 Government set the ambition to halve continue to promote their products or services to other childhood obesity by 2030 and help adults reach a businesses, which we hope will prevent unintended healthier weight. As part of a suite of measures to meet consequences of impeding business activity where this ambition, is it important that we reduce children’s commerce is not with the purpose of encouraging exposure to advertising for products high in fat, sugar and children's consumption of HFSS food or drink. salt (HFSS) on TV and online. We want to ensure that the media our children engage with mostly promotes a • Transactional content (online only): To ensure that healthy diet.